Chile: At least 16 dead in fire at nursing home

A fire that broke out Friday evening at a nursing home in southern Chile, near the city of Pitrufquén, has killed at least 16 people, according to several international media outlets citing local authorities.

The newspaper "La Tercera" published photographs showing massive flames shooting from the roof of the building, illustrating the scale of the destruction.

Rescue efforts and injured

Multiple firefighting and rescue teams from neighboring towns were dispatched to the scene. Ten people were rescued from the burning building and taken to hospital with injuries.

Authorities stated that a total of 26 people were inside the nursing home at the time the fire started. This means the majority of the residents were either killed or injured in the incident.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have not yet provided an official explanation for how the flames spread so quickly and with such devastating effect.